PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The 2009 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship brings Syracuse, Connecticut, Louisville and Providence to the league's finale for the third straight season. Providence College will host the two-round event with the semifinals taking place on Nov. 7, and the championship game on Nov. 8. All games will be held at the Friar Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.

After finishing league play with a perfect 6-0 mark, Syracuse earned the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship for the second consecutive season. The Orange end the regular season with a 16-2 overall record, including a league-high seven victories over top-20 opponents. SU makes its 19th appearance at the BIG EAST Championship, carrying an 11-14 (.440) record including four crowns (1993, 1995, 2001, 2008).  

Connecticut earned the No. 2 position following a 5-1 record in BIG EAST play and a 17-2 overall mark, including a league-best seven shutouts. The Huskies advance to the championship for the BIG EAST-leading 20th time and hold a conference-high .743 win percentage (26-9). UConn owns more championship titles (10) than the other six teams combined (seven), with its most recent crown coming in 2007.

Louisville earned the No. 3 seed after finishing BIG EAST play with a 4-2 mark. The Cardinals finished the regular season with a 12-7 record. Since joining the league in 2005, Louisville has advanced to the BIG EAST Championship every season, but has yet to earn a win (0-4).

At No. 4, Providence advances to the BIG EAST Championship for the fourth straight year and 14th time overall. The Friars hold the second-best tournament record at 9-11 (.450) and will be looking for their third championship crown. PC closed the regular season with a 10-9 mark and was 3-3 in BIG EAST contests.

In the first semifinal game, Syracuse and Providence will face off for the second-straight year at 11:00 a.m. In their 2008 semifinal showdown, the Orange earned a 3-1 win. In 2009's regular-season meeting, Syracuse earned a 2-1 home win. At 1:30 p.m., the second semifinal match will pair Connecticut and Louisville also for the second-straight year. Connecticut earned a 4-1 victory in 2008's semifinal game. In their 2009 regular-season match, the Huskies took a 3-2 double-overtime win. The two semifinal winners will face each other Nov. 8 at 1:00 p.m., vying for the championship title and the BIG EAST's automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Championship.

Fans can follow all of the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship action including live stats, blogging, recaps, highlights and box scores through Championship Central on www.bigeast.org. All three games also will be streamed online at www.bigeast.tv for $7.95.